A Bottle of 439
by Alex Rose
Summary: A young knight lies in his room in drunken stupour after making a deadly mistake on the battle field. Can two of his closest friends save him from himself and a murder charge? A one shot about Roaul of Goldenlake's youth.


_In the process of writing my fanfic about Raoul and Buri, I started thinking about the references Tammy makes to Raoul's drinking in his youth. So here's my small offering exploring what might have happened._

_**A/N** For those of you who don't remember 439 is the year of the great famine after Jon used the Dominion Jewel. That's what makes a bottle of 439 very rare. Jon gave a bottle to each of those who were key in saving the day at the coronation._**  
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A Bottle of 439**

The last of the sunlight glittered on the empty bottle as it rolled off the table. There was a dull clunk when it hit the floor making the young knight look up. Heavily, he pushed his fingers through his mop of curly hair before picking it up. He raised the bottle to his lips waiting to see if there was another drop left. After a long moment, he let it fall onto the bed disappointed.

Raoul looked around the room and his eyes alighted on the last bottle. He'd always promised himself he wouldn't touch that one. It was a vintage, a 439. There were barely a dozen bottles of the stuff. Yet before he could stop himself, Raoul had the stopper out and was gulping the stuff down in a desperate attempt to destroy the shadows that were floating back into his mind.

He could still see the whites of his men's eyes. They couldn't have argued with him, but they wanted to. Raoul could still hear his deputy's steady tones. "Are you sure, my Lord?" Raoul had threatened to throw him out for insubordination. Now there was no need.

Raoul sat back and look at the bottle. It was already half gone. He took another swing waiting for the familiar sense of relief. It never came. The shadows of the battle field flickered into focus. They had won but it was hardly a victory. Raoul closed his eyes, but it only made the faces of the dead appear clearer. Tears choked in his throat and he drank deeply.

Someone knocked at the door.

"Go away," Raoul slurred.

"Raoul?" came a woman's voice.

"Go away," he repeated.

The door swung open. Alanna the Lioness stood in the doorway, her eyes wide. She wore a loose tunic and breeches that disguised her swelling belly. Raoul sat slumped on the floor, the bottle of 439 in his hand.

"Raoul? What's going on?" she asked, shutting the door.

"Nothing," Raoul replied. He tried to haul himself up to sit on the bed, but failed. Alanna reached down, slightly awkwardly and helped him up. "Why are you even in Corus?" he asked, a vague memory floating into his mind.

Alanna smiled. "If I'm going to have to take time off, then I can't be leaving everything in a mess for Jon." She sat down beside him and took the bottle out of his hand. She turned it round. "Your bottle of 439. I thought you were going to save this for a special occasion."

Raoul shrugged. "Didn't have anything else."

"Why didn't you have anything else?"

"Drank it all."

"All of it?" Alanna looked up and sure enough the shelf where Raoul normally kept a couple of bottles of liquor was empty. "Why?"

Once again Raoul shrugged. The haunting faces were still dancing in his mind.

Alanna rubbed her bump gently, thinking. "How was the bandit hunting?" she asked eventually. Raoul burst into tears and grabbed the bottle back from her to take another drink. Alanna stared at her friend, surprised. She couldn't ever remember seeing him cry before. There was something deeply worrying about seeing this strong six-foot giant of a man blubbing like her two year old son.

"What happened to you, Raoul?"

The knight took a deep breath and muttered, "they're dead."

"Who's dead?" Alanna asked, her flesh crawling. Something was really wrong.

"They're dead and it's my fault." Raoul drained the last of the bottle.

Alanna took the bottle away and put it down on the table. "Raoul. How is it your fault?"

"I made them."

One of the twins kicked and Alanna shifted. What was Raoul trying to tell her? She thought for a long time. "Have you been drinking a lot?" she asked.

Raoul nodded. Alanna didn't know what to say next. If Raoul had been a marauding highwayman, she would have known exactly how to get it sorted. The two of them just sat there in silence, Raoul leaning on Alanna's shoulder.

Eventually, there were voices outside in the corridor. Alanna recognised them. Gently she eased the now sleeping Raoul up and went to open the door. Her husband was talking to a young officer of the King's Own. When Alanna appeared he turned around.

"Alanna? What are you doing here?" he asked. "I thought you were getting some rest."

"I wanted to go and have a chat with Raoul. He only got in last night."

George's face fell. "I know."

"What is it?" Alanna asked.

Her husband came over and put his arms around her waist. "Raoul's in trouble. A whole squad got killed because he ordered them right into a raiding camp. He could be facing murder charges."

"Oh!" gasped Alanna, suddenly understanding. This was worse than she had thought. George frowned. Alanna took George's hand, leading him back into Raoul's room. "I think you'd better come and see something."

Raoul was still slumped on his bed fully clothed. Alanna picked up the bottle from the table and handed it to George. "He's blind drunk, George. He drank this because he had nothing else left."

George looked from the bottle to the knight. "Mithros! I should have seen it."

"We all should have," said Alanna heavily. "George, we can't have him hauled up in front of Lord Turmott for murder. He'll swing for it."

"But we have to do something. Five men are dead because the Knight Commander of the King's Own is a drunkard."

"This is going to destroy everything we've worked so hard for. People will blame Jon for this. There'll be riots in the streets."

George nodded. "You're right, but we can hardly hush this up."

Suddenly, Alanna smiled.

"What's that for?" asked George.

"The babies kicked."

"You didn't tell me."

"I hadn't had a chance to yet." Alanna took George's hand and put it onto her stomach. George smiled as the twins moved again.

"What are we going to do?" he said.

"If only he could disappear for a bit," said Alanna. "Give the whole thing time to blow over. Mithros knows he needs the time off. He's been working so hard the last few years."

George nodded. "So have all of you. At least this," he patted her stomach, "means you have to take some time off."

Raoul made a loud snoring noise.

"George, that's it. He can come home with us."

George shook his head. "Don't you remember what Duke Baird said. Having twins is more dangerous. You have to take it easy."

"Then it won't hurt to have another pair of hands around. Maude will help too and you're never far away."

George looked at his wife carefully. He knew that determined look in her eyes. He wasn't going to win. Besides, it wasn't actually such a bad plan. "What about the charges?"

"Raoul didn't know there was a nest of raiders there?" Alanna said hopefully.

Her husband shrugged. It wouldn't be hard to doctor the intelligence reports that Raoul had received. "We'll have to see what Jon says," he replied pragmatically.

Alanna smiled. Even if George wouldn't say it to her face she knew she'd won. "Then we'd better go and ask him."

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The gentle warmth of the summer sun streaming through the window was comforting. Raoul stretched and stood up. For a moment, his only thought was to pour himself a good stiff drink but the feeling passed.

Alanna lay stretched out on the settle. The sight of the only female knight in Tortall so heavily pregnant made him laugh.

"Don't start that again," she said wearily. "I feel like a whale as it is and they're not supposed to arrive for good few weeks yet."

"Sorry," replied Raoul. "I think it's just…"

"The irony of the situation? You said." Alanna tried to arch her back to relieve some of the pressure on it. "Sometimes I think I had the right idea when I was a squire. I feel so totally undignified."

"Worse than falling off the horse in front of the Shang Dragon?"

"If anything could be worse than that, this is." Alanna grimaced. "My back feels awful today. It's aching so badly."

"Do you want me to fetch Maude?" asked Raoul, frowning as pain crossed Alanna's face again.

For a moment he thought she would say no, but she nodded. "Yes."

Raoul found a servant in the corridor and sent him to find the healing woman who also cared for Alanna's son, Thom. He returned to find Alanna in pain again. "Can I do anything?"

Alanna nodded. "A big glass of brandy wouldn't go amiss," she said.

Raoul stared at her. "Are you all right?"

"No," replied Alanna, shaking her head. "I don't think this is just back ache."

Raoul swore. If she meant what he thought she did, then that would mean the babies were coming almost six weeks early. Even with most Gifted healers, significant number of both women and children died in childbirth and the risks were higher if the baby came early. Raoul did even want to think about the complications that twins would bring.

Alanna nodded gravely.

"I'll get that brandy for you," said Raoul and hurried up to the first floor. He knew Alanna and George had moved all the alcohol in to their private rooms when he had arrived, but he didn't know if they had kept it locked up. With a deep breath, Raoul tried the door to the sitting room. It swung open easily. He was surprised to see a glass fronted cabinet almost opposite him filled with bottles of liquor. Again he tried the door. It wasn't locked. He was suddenly struck by how much Alanna and George must trust him. He wouldn't let them down now.

Carefully he pulled out the bottle of brandy and a glass. As he pulled out the stopper, the familiar bit of the alcohol wafted into the air. Raoul bit back the urge to take a mouthful and filled the glass. He hesitated and then replaced the stopper. Then he hastily closed the cupboard and left the room, glass in hand.

Maude had arrived by the time Raoul had returned glass in hand. She frowned as he handed it over to Alanna. The lady knight looked up at him. "Thank you," she said simply and swallowed the whole lot.

Maude shook her head. "Liquor'll do you no good at a time like this, Alanna."

Alanna shrugged. "I know, but I'm about to give birth to twins. When else am I going to drink a large brandy?"

The healing woman smiled as Alanna gripped her hand to breathe through another contraction. "You have a fair point."

When she could speak again, Alanna looked up at Raoul. He was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "I knew I could trust you."

"Thank you," he said, with a smile. "Now, perhaps we should tell George he's going to be a father again soon."

* * *

Raoul crept softly into the room. The shutters were still closed even though the dawn had broken hours ago. 

"Hello," whispered Alanna, weakly from the bed. It had been a long labour and she had lost a lot of blood, but she was alive and the midwife promised she would fight again. George sat beside her, his hand stroking her hair.

Raoul smiled. "How are you?"

"Exhausted, but happy."

"How are the twins?"

"Sleeping, thank goodness," said George. The relief on his face at the safe delivery of both babies was evident. They had nearly lost one, but now, though they were small, they too were healthy and in time would be as strong as their mother.

"Do they have names yet?" asked Raoul

Alanna nodded. "Alan and Alienne."

"Alan and Alienne of Pirate's Swoop. I like it."

George stood up and went over to the dresser. "This is for you," he said picking up a bottle and handing it to Raoul.

Surprised Raoul took it and looked at the label. It was Alanna's bottle of 439 "I can't take this," he said trying to give it back to George. "I haven't done anything to deserve it."

"You got me than brandy," said Alanna softly. Raoul met her proud eyes and smiled.

George pressed the bottle firmly too him. "Just don't waste it this time. You'll need something good to wet your own baby's head with."

Alanna smiled. "It's so good to see you back to your old self," she said.

"It's good to be back," said Raoul with a smile.

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_Hope you liked it. If you did, please check out my Roaul and Buri fic "Just Good Friends?" or any of my other stuff._

_Oh and please **review**! _


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